The "Old Champ" Webcam and Windows 10 Creator's Update - Logitech C920 (now with lower pricetag)

[PGHammer]

As is typical, new hardware drives down prices of older hardware - this is just as true of webcams.  (The launch of the BRIO gave a whacking to the prices of all the old champ webcams in the C9xx series - from the C935e to the original C920 - which is now a THIRD of the price of the BRIO, and especially at Amazon - all of, in fact, $61.99 - https://smile.amazon.com/Logitech-Widescreen-Calling-Recording-Desktop/dp/B006JH8T3S/ref=s9u_simh_gw_i2?_encoding=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pd_rd_i=B006JH8T3S&pd_rd_r=CDETG5J9BFZPM77R9VT0&pd_rd_w=4BOnp&pd_rd_wg=zKnTK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=62PTJGZZSNN9NGJGD1CC&pf_rd_r=62PTJGZZSNN9NGJGD1CC&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=781f4767-b4d4-466b-8c26-2639359664eb&pf_rd_p=781f4767-b4d4-466b-8c26-2639359664eb&pf_rd_i=desktop).

 

I have three (and only three) questions regarding the original *old champ* of webcams:

 

Q1: Does it support any part of the Windows Hello feature set?  (I would think it would not support RealSense due to its age - I'm actually surprised that the BRIO does.)

Q2.  Is anyone currently using it with the Creator's Update (and especially with Skype)?  (That is my planned primary use.)

If you used to have one (but no longer do), why did you get rid of it? (Basically, why did you fire or retire it?)

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

I don't see any mention of an infra-red camera, laser projector or other range/depth detection sensors on the Logitec C920, so, no, it doesn't support Windows Hello.  Here's a list of cameras which support Windows Hello (caveat: that I'm aware of):

• Creative Senz3D (no longer made, basis for Intel RealSense)
• Intel RealSense SR300
• Logitech BRIO
• Mouse Facial Recognition Camera CM01-A (site is in Japanese)
• Razer Stargazer

I was examining the technology a couple of years ago when Windows 10 was in development, and it seemed to work reasonable well on the PC side, however, the iris scanners used the Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950XL would neither record or recognize my eyes while wearing glasses.  Consumer's Digest wrote an article on the technology.
 

Keep in mind there are some risks to this technology as well.  Biometric recognition and automatic sign in via fingerprint and facial recognition sound like cool Star Trek-y stuff, but if you have sensitive information on your computer, you may not want it to automatically unlock by someone forcing you to stand in front of the camera or touch the fingerprint reader.  My personal preference is biometric for identification, but a password or PIN for authentication, possibly in conjunction with a 2FA token.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

[PGHammer]

8 hours ago, goretsky said:

Hello,

I don't see any mention of an infra-red camera, laser projector or other range/depth detection sensors on the Logitec C920, so, no, it doesn't support Windows Hello.  Here's a list of cameras which support Windows Hello (caveat: that I'm aware of):

• Creative Senz3D (no longer made, basis for Intel RealSense)
• Intel RealSense SR300
• Logitech BRIO
• Mouse Facial Recognition Camera CM01-A (site is in Japanese)
• Razer Stargazer

I was examining the technology a couple of years ago when Windows 10 was in development, and it seemed to work reasonable well on the PC side, however, the iris scanners used the Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950XL would neither record or recognize my eyes while wearing glasses.  Consumer's Digest wrote an article on the technology.
 

Keep in mind there are some risks to this technology as well.  Biometric recognition and automatic sign in via fingerprint and facial recognition sound like cool Star Trek-y stuff, but if you have sensitive information on your computer, you may not want it to automatically unlock by someone forcing you to stand in front of the camera or touch the fingerprint reader.  My personal preference is biometric for identification, but a password or PIN for authentication, possibly in conjunction with a 2FA token.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

I wouldn't have expected any WH support out of the webcam itself due to its age; however, I simply wanted confirmation.  Right now, I use a PIN on all my Windows 10 PCs (both desktops and notebooks).  (Mom uses a PIN on her notebook running the CU, and will switch the desktop to a PIN as well.)

Sensitive data goes to the cloud (as opposed to remaining on any of my hardware) -  that is, in fact, my primary use for OneDrive (as there is not much of it).  My normal use for a webcam is, in fact, the typical use (Skype) - my desktop has no webcam at all right now.  (While I can use my phone as a webcam, it's still a kludge, given the age of the phone.)  Naturally, said desktop is the ONLY hardware that lacks a camera  (notebooks, and AIOs based on notebook parts bins, include a camera by default, as do smartphones, phablets, and tablets).

In short, while being able to use WH would be nice, it's NOT a driver in and of itself, so why pay through the nose for it if avoidable?  (The Stargazer is twice the price of the C920, and while the MFRC is cheaper, you can't buy locally (such as Amazon) which means more hoops to import it), and the SR300 is the same price as the Stargazer - already written off as overkill.)

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

If you're interested in the Mouse Facial Recognition Camera CM01-A, you can buy it on Amazon from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSEJPJP/.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

[PGHammer]

18 hours ago, goretsky said:

Hello,

If you're interested in the Mouse Facial Recognition Camera CM01-A, you can buy it on Amazon from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSEJPJP/.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

Well, I'm shocked - it actually is priced darn close to the C920 (and is thus a workable option to it).  Like the initial reviewer, I have USB 3.0 support - the Intel H81 chipset - like most LGA115x chipsets -  has at least two USB 3.0 ports - no hub required.  (Like most USB 3.x ports, they are, in fact, backward-compatible with USB 2.x - which is how I have, in fact, been using them - as I have no hardware that specifically required USB 3.x.)  Like the C920, it is Plug and Play (is this the case for the other WH devices as well) - it also lacks a built-in mic; however, that's no lack - I have the beamforming mic that came iwth my sound card (the SAME one that also ships with the Sound Blaster Z is included with all the SoundCore 3D sound cards - including my Recon3D Fata1ity Champion).